1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to aiming drives for a launching arrangement located on an object, which for the alignment of a pivotal holder for the launching arrangement, possesses in a support structure fixed to the object an azimuthal setting motor with a rotational drive connected to a support ring for the pivotal holder.
The invention is further directed to the provision of an aiming drive for a launching arrangement located on an object which for the alignment of a pivotal holder for the launching device, possesses in a support structure fixed to the object an elevational setting motor with a support extending by means of a linkage connection through a support ring for the pivotal holder so as to be rotatable relative to the support structure, for enabling the elevation of the launching arrangement.
Furthermore, the invention also provides for an aiming drive for a launching arrangement located on an object, which for the alignment of a pivotal holder for the launching arrangement possesses setting motors located in a support structure which is fixed to the object.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
Aiming drives of that type for the weapon turret of a lightweight military vehicle are known from the disclosure of European Patent Publication EP 149 639 B1. The turret which is rotatable relative to the vehicle is carried on a platform by means of a radial ball bearing which, in turn, for shock-absorbing the recoil of the gun barrel is supported through the interposition of elastic supports by the vehicle chassis. The tilting moments which act on the platform are supported thereby through a cage-like yoke frame, which is in the configuration of a hollow truncated cone, against a central shaft in the azimuthal axis of the turret rotation. For the azimuthal aiming, there is effected the rotation of the turret about this shaft by means of a pinion which is supported in the platform, and which is driven through a belt drive by a motor which is mounted on the vehicle. For the elevational aiming, the central shaft ends opposite the turret in a linear gear rack, into which there engages the pinion of a motor, the latter of which is mounted transversely thereof fastened to the vehicle, so as to displace the shaft in the direction of the azimuthal axis. Connected opposite the gear rack to this shaft is a yoke by means of a ball and socket joint. The free end surfaces thereof are quite far behind the elevational, axis, extending so as to approach the center of gravity of the gun, articulated to the gun, as a result of which the latter by means of the gear rack drive can be aimed in elevation.
These previously known drives for the aiming of a gun in accordance with azimuth and/or elevation, either considered by themselves or also in combination, are subject to a series of significant constructive and functional disadvantages which, above all, come into consideration when it is important to be able to rapidly aim a large mass, and then to dependently arrest it in position. Thus, already because of the belt drive, there is not afforded a rapid and secure azimuthal aiming, since in view of the required torsional moments for the high inertial mass of the turret with its gun, there can be expected only a slowly moving entry into the specified aiming orientation, or there must be expected an azimuthal pendeling or overtraveling, and then in view of the unavoidable play in the engagement of the teeth of the drive pinion, and due to the belt drive leading to the drive motor, that this leads to only a poorly dependable arresting in the finally reached specified aiming orientation. Also the dependability of the weapon elevation in the known construction leaves much to be desired, inasmuch as the gear rack drive, when it is not imparted due to significant friction losses an exact constructive linear guidance, necessarily operates while being subjected to an extensive degree of play. In addition thereto, there are also the constructive disadvantages of the technological manufacturing demands, and the play in a two-dimensional support in the form of the ball and socket joint for the connection of the elevational yoke to the central shaft which serves as the longitudinally displaceable support rod. Moreover, the support of the weapon in the yoke far distant from the center of gravity which is located close to the azimuthal axis, in view of the intense pivotal movements of the yoke about its ball and socket joint, is extremely disadvantageous from a kinetic as well as kinematic standpoint. Finally, especially for a mass production manufacture, these aspects are generally disadvantageous: functionally the play and the frictional losses, as well as in the manufacturing technology, the large parts and adjusting requirement for the support of the gear rack and for the yoke connection through a ball bearing for elevational aiming, as well as the belt drive for azimuthal aiming; and finally, also in the requirement for excessive installation space for the aiming motors which are to be oriented transversely of each other.
From the disclosure of German Patent Publication DE 33 41 320 A1 there is known a controllable rotational drive for the rotatable upper part, for example, of a weapon installation, which supports itself on a stationary lower part by means of a large-sized roller bearing, which is formed from three rings or races, of which two are connected secured against rotation with the lower part and, respectively, with the upper part outer races are each equipped with a drive motor, whose pinions stand in engagement with a gear ring, which protrudes sleeve-like from this race arrangement, and axially offset relative thereto is connected with a middle race which is supported between these two races so as to, in the type of a differential drive, be able to vary the torsional moment transfer between the inner race and the outer race. This azimuthal drive thus permits the implementation of a highly dynamic azimuthal adjustment of the two outer races relative to each other; however, notwithstanding the high demands on manufacturing and spatial requirements, still does not afford a dependable arresting in the assumed specified reference position.
The above mentioned disadvantages of the already considered azimuthal and elevational drives are, in particular, overwhelming when it relates to the implementation of a two-dimensional aiming drive, such as is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,661,254 A for the rapid aiming of a heavy launch receptacle in accordance with azimuth and elevation, so as to for the active protection of a mobile or stationary object from a receptacle mounted on this object or in proximity thereto to fire fragmentation grenades against an attacking airborne body. For this purpose, from this publication there is known that a gun carriage-like support carries an azimuthally adjustable pivotal holder for the therein located tiltable launch container, which for these two aiming movements, in accordance with the prior art publication, is equipped with two setting motors which are mutually transversely oriented. Due to the large masses which are to be extremely rapidly accelerated and decelerated, such as a launch receptacle, which especially at the beginning of a combat action is equipped with a plurality of fragmentation grenades, and resultingly is heavy, the setting motors must be designed for a rapid acceleration at a high torsional moment and rapid deceleration with an intense halting or restraining moment, which requires a large magnetically operative mass; in effect, extremely heavy setting motors. This is particularly critical with regard to the unavoidable transmission losses in the rotating torque transmissions from the setting motors, on the one hand, for azimuthal rotation and, on the other hand, for the elevational pivoting of the launch receptacle. The requirement to be able to move these extremely large masses thus runs against the demand for a rapid and correct aiming of the launch receptacle toward a target.
In recognition of these conditions, the present invention has as an object to provide aiming drives for azimuthal and elevational, as well for a combined azimuthal and elevational aiming of the weapon, especially in the form of the mentioned launch receptacle, which is designed so as to be optimized to such critical demands in order to provide the most possibly rapid and most possibly free of any play, and the accurately maintainable aiming of the launch receptacle in accordance with azimuth and/or in accordance with elevation for a correct firing against a target, especially such as firing a defensive grenade against an attacking airborne body.
In accordance with essential features of the invention directed to the azimuthal aiming procedure; in effect, for a turning of the upper structure coaxially of the azimuthal axis, engaging into the inner or outer toothing of the carrier ring are the drive take-off pinions of a plurality of azimuthal setting motors which are stationary; namely, fixed to the object in the support structure and are therein concurrently protected from fragmentation effects, so as to rapidly achieve a specified azimuthal aiming upon their operative synchronization, and upon the switching over of at least one of the azimuthal setting motors to a counter torsional moment relative to at least one of the other, are able to be immediately arrested in a specified position without any play.
The bifurcated or yoke-like pivotal holder for the therein suspended launch receptacle so as to facilitate it to be aimable in elevation, which is carried through the intermediary of the rotatable ring by the support structure which is fixed to the object, which with its housing can be integrated with the object which is to be protected, is articulated to a support rod, which, in turn, is articulated to an elevational setting motor arranged in the support structure concentrically with the azimuthal axis, which is equipped with a drive relative to the setting motor coaxially rotatable about the azimuthal axis for the translation of the support rod. Expediently, integrated herein so as to engage into the rotor, is a roller screw drive in the elevation motor, so as not to require any special bearing location for the support rod. This produces in construction a small sized drive unit, and which is consequently of low-inertia, and with regard to rolling friction a functionally extremely robust drive unit without the need for providing any additional bearing components for implementation the elevational function.
In the event of the implementation of a combined azimuthal and elevational aiming drive, the setting motors are thereby arranged axially- parallel in the support structure, so as to be easily manufactured as a compactly preassembled and functionally-tested drive block or module with attachments, insertable below the platform as a multifunctional unit (namely, for azimuth and elevation, for the last-mentioned with the motor bearing concurrently serving as a drive bearing) into a pot- shaped housing.
The carrier ring for the yoke-shaped pivotal holder is carried on the platform by means of a surrounding bearing having a low axial height for the receipt of axial as well as radial loads, which is preferably designed as a known per se cross-roller bearing. As a result, the carrier ring is subjected to a radial counter bearing opposite the radial pressure exerted by the azimuthal drive pinion, while by means of this moment bearing there is also concurrently ensured the axial positioning of the support ring relative to the housing of the support structure.
The yoke-shaped pivotal holder which is mounted on the rotatable carrier ring preferably possesses somewhat the geometry of a bending-resistant right-angled triangle with unequal short sides, which by means of its lengthier short side rests secured against movement on the carrier ring, and oppositely located in the region of the transition of the axially shorter arm to the hypotenuse, is equipped offset from the azimuthal axis with a swivel eyelet for the tilting for elevational aiming by the launch receptacle which is suspended in the holder. Closely adjacent to this pivot axis, and passing transversely thereof is the central axis of the support structure which lies in coincidence with the azimuthal axis of the carrier ring. Preferably, at a middle elevation of the launch receptacle, the articulation thereof to the support rod lies exactly in coincidence with the azimuthal axis. Due to the only slight mutual offset between the two articulated joint locations of the launch receptacle (pivot axis and support articulation) the coupling to the elevation motor in the form of the support rod, during the elevational aiming of the launch receptacle, carries out only extremely slight deviations from the azimuthal axis, so that this rod is subjected by the heavy launch receptacle during its is short lever path to practically no bending, but essentially only to thrust loading.
The launch receptacle is supported by way of the coupling rod or bar along the azimuthal axis on a translatory drive output of the elevation setting motor which is arranged in concentric relationship with the carrier ring and thus in coaxial relationship with the azimuthal axis, also in fixed relationship with the object, in the housing of the support structure. This drive output is, for example, a telescope or preferably a means for conversion from a rotary motor movement into a linear drive output movement by way of a spindle nut on a screwthreaded rod. The elevation setting motor overall or at any event its drive output member are rotatable relative to the support structure unless the support rod or bar is rotatable in itself or by way of at least one ball-headed joint relative to the support structure because the carrier ring rotates about the azimuthal axis for azimuthal aiming and in so doing entrains the coupling from the elevation motor which is fixed with respect to the object to the launch receptacle which in contrast is rotatable. If, however, no rotatable coupling is installed here, that is to say, an elevation setting motor which is fixed with respect to the support structure is not coupled to the launch receptacle with at least one ball joint but only with hinge-type joints by way of the support rod or bar, then that results in a geometrically governed change in elevation in dependence on the azimuth adjustment, which however can be reliably compensated precisely for that reason in the event of elevation control as an error influence which is defined in dependence on azimuth.
This therefore provides for an aiming drive which is particularly suitable for integration on large vehicles as the large masses of the setting motors are carried by the support structure which is fixed with respect to the object, that is to say which is stationary with respect for example to the vehicle to be protected, and they are no longer carried on the carrier ring which is azimuthally adjustable thereon. The latter only has to carry the weight of the launch receptacle including the pivotal holder thereof, which is supported by way of a rotational bearing or mounting arrangement on the support structure which now, as a result of integration of the setting motors, is in particular of a high mass and which therefore advantageously is sluggish in reaction in relation to the aiming procedures.